The National tribune., 1887-02-17

stay could do the husbands no good. Lot had
probably not lost his knowledge Of the true
God. 1t is not likely he wholly reelected to
teach his children. After all, we find the family
in sad state morally. They surely had very
loose principles of religion, very little idea Of
morals even. The sequel is not favorable in
their cases.
The conduct of the sodomites about the
house of Lot on the night during which the
Angels stopped with him was a shameful illus
tration of their depravity. No wonder God
would destroy such fostering sore in the moral
world. Men think it right to rid an inhabited
region of wild beasts. Every day the SodOmites
lived they were becoming more and more lost
to religious influence. In the course of nature
that generation would soon have died anyway
Not only was it well they be destroyed for the
sake of all that region, but their destruction
was also necessary lesson to the rest of the
world for all time. u Pet, 2:6.l 1t was an
object teaching, compelling attention and fore
ing warning. From then till now it has given
effect to every exhortatiOn to men to reform.
1t gave point to certain of Christ's threatenings
and teachings. For government to be silent
when subjects are breaking every law would DO
Endorsement of evil, sanction of crime, and the
sure precursor to anarchy. Such a place as
SOdom was q temptation and might draw many
another Lot into its demoralizing and deadly
influence. When place is so bad that not
found in it, but not even four whose lives
could endure any strained moral criticism, a
man must have the countenance of sphynx
and the nerve of a colossus who will take God
to do for destroying it. Look at the four:
Lots wife so yearned for the city that she
would probably have returned, only that
she became stationary; the two daughters
did not, even after such signal manifestation Of
Gods opposition to iniquity, pause at the sin Of
incest; and no moralist finds in Lot himself
the most fascinating subject of laudation. 1t
Is quite questionable whether Lot would have
escaped had 1t not been out of God consideration
Tor Abraham and in remembrance of his prayers.
And surely the world could have been spared
the Moabites and AmmOnites. We read Lot
was righteous man, and that the sins of the
SodOmites vexed him. This might have been
quite true when he first went to that city, and
always true as he was compared with the Sod
omites. But he was not so yexed as to sell out
and leave. he was not so vexed but that he
risked to bring up his family amid such associa-
lions. He was not righteous enough to have q
favorable moral influence upon ibis neighbors.
After 80 years residence, 10mors persons could
not be found in all that section. And even his
own family needed heavy vail of charity cast
over them before the critic be allowed to in
vestigate their religious status. We can see
their salvation only over Abraham's shoulders.
The region destroyed was the Plain of Sodom.
1t is supposed the territory is now covered by
the Dead Sea. We speak Of Sodom and Co
morrah as having been ruined. There were
really three other cities in the plain-Admah,
Zeboiim and Zoar. Q4:2.) 1t is probable Sodom
was at one end of the region and GomOrrah at
the other, and the destruction of these two
would include those between. Zoar was spared
at the petition of Lot The mountains east of
SOdom were the Moabite elevations The dis
lance across the plain to the foot of the mount
aims, though not very great, was yet severe
tramp to man quite in years and for the two wo-
men. Then, the mountain would be without hab-
itatiOn, moested by wild beasts, and possibly in
tested by robbers or murderers. II seems there
was little town near the foot of the hills,
called Zoar. Lot begged it be spared that he
and his daughters might escape to it and find
refuge. The Angels consented
What of Lots choice of territory rs compared
with Abraham's? Lot was then an old man,
without homo or property. His wife was a
pillar of salt. His two daughters were worse
yet-pillars of infamy. When men invest in
SOdom they take fearful risks. 1t is mistake
IN parent to make money at any sacrifice to
the moral good OF his family. Let poor, sad,
broken-dOwn Lot be a lesson to every father.
1t IS easy to see how the Plain of Sodom was
destroyed. 1t was like much of Pennsylvania,
coal and oil region. Birthstone grew there
bitumen naturally belched from the ground.
An earthquake with q supernatural stroke OF
lightning set it all aglow. The petroleum
boiled. The gas cracked with flames. 1t did
not take long to destroy a region of country
with all these terrific elements. The whole
territory did not probably cover an area of more
than 80 miles by 10. The region destroyed
was submerged and the valley is now covered
by the Dead Sea- desolate, salt, sea. The
whole region seems yet stamped with the
marks of Gods disapproval. The very name
Is signihcant-Dead Sea-covering rs il does
the hosts of human corpses left by the havoc
of destruction. The visitor to that section
realizes the evil of sin and feels q warning not
easily cast of ever afterward
We have very much TO learn from the de-
struction of Sodom. It has an application to
US. Christ would have US consider it. st. Peter
says, God turning the cities Of Sodom and
Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an
overthrow, making them an example unto those
that after should live ungodly." q Pet, 2 :6)
And st. Jude says verse Z, "SodOm and Go
morrah, and the cities about them in like man
ner, giving themselves over to fornication, and
going after strange flesh, are set forth for an
example, suffering the vengeance of eternal
fire." Our Savior himself made reference TO
the lesson. Speaking of the Judgment occasion,
he says, Likewise also as it was in the days of
Lot: they did eat, they drank they bought,
they sold, they planted, they builded, but the
same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained
fire and birthstone from Heaven and DESTROYED
them all; even thus shall it be in the day when
the Son of Man is revealed. In that day he
who shall be upon the hOusetop, and his stuff
in the house, let him not come down TO take it
away; and he that is in the field let him not
likewise return back Remember Lots wife"
(St. Luke, II: 1897 1t is well we study the
lesson. Ministers and Sunday school teachers
should cite the historic case of Lot and warn
congregations and classes of to-day of the sins
Of the SOdOmites and the reluctance of Lot to
escape the impending punishment. We have
before US an example, q warning. We must
learn from the experience of others. Hence
the utility of reading history and biography.
Spanish proyerb runs thus: Experience is
the father and memory the mother of wisdom. {"
The Chinese have the saying: "They are only
horses and cows in clothes who neglect the
study OF the past and present" 1t is the part
OF brutes to see others mistakes aud walk
straight into the same mistakes One benefit
OF the Bible is that it shows us how persons
have suffered from doing wrong. and puts US
on guard against committing any similar evils
part of the work of ali religious teachers is
TO hold up these cases as warnings to the peo-
pie OF their day. We can learn at Lots ex-
pense many profitable lesson.
Haste thee!" the Angels cried to Lot So
rs to our souls. We should act at once Lot
ran fearful risk in moving too slowly. When
Caleb went out to still the people who feared
to enter the Promised Land he cried out, /" Let
us go up at Once!" (Nu.. 10: 3d. The follow
ing verse occurs in the Book of Ecclesiasticus
SD: Make no long tarrying to turn to the
Lord, and put not of from day to day: for sud
y y fha ri g.